Team XO Bio: Fairchild Returns as AllStar

Countless moments filled the Hood To Coast's race to Seaside last year. With newbies and veterans alike, my team improved by an hour and twenty minutes to place third in our division (again). Although my competitive nature sought such improved results - if not even higher and faster - the highlight of my experience was surely the presence of my teammates.

One in particular, a woman about whom I've written before made the moments spent sweaty, cramped, tired, exuberant, delirious, pukey and in other states - be them physical, mental, spiritual and/or transcendent - quite memorable and even fun. I was lucky enough to meet her at Steens Mountain High Altitude Running Camp several years ago; and Team XO Coed All Stars are lucky enough to have her back from Colorado to join us in our endeavors this year.

Considering her resume includes winning two national high school cross country championships (called Kinney, not Footlocker, at the time), being the first high school girl to break 10 minutes for the 2-mile track race, earning All-American honors in cross country as a University of Oregon Duck, winning an NCAA title in the 3,000-meter race, and more, Melody Fairchild's gained quite the perspective on running.

Fairchild, whose status as arguably the best high school female runner in the US is rarely argued, has recently developed (what I believe is) the only all girls' high school running camp in the country. After working at Melody Fairchild's Running Camp this summer, I am even more convinced that she's the type of person anyone would want next to them in a trench...or on their Hood to Coast team.